Electrical contact



Sept. 4, 1928. 1,682,790 .1. T. JANETTE ELECTRICAL CONTACT Filed Feb.26. 1925 22 25 /7 I /3 a /9 7 fi/ F19 E3. 6' 9 2,' 7 I I, i i

I) m M I 7 A3 /5 W 5 Patented Sept. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES earner QFFECE.

JOHN T. JANETTE, OF CHTGAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEGTRZCAL CONTACT.

Application filed February 26, 1325. Serial No. 11,782.

This invention relates to electri :al contacts which are adapted for usein various place, as for instance, in switches. controllers, relays, orother devices in which yielding contacts are desired. I

The objects of this invention are to pro vide a yielding contact whichwill be extremely simple and cheap in construction, but which will bedurable and efi'icient in operation; to provide a yielding contact whichmay be formed from sheet metal; provide a yielding contact in which thepressure on the contact point will not be materially increased as thecontact is made; to provide contact device having a resilient toggleoint pre s are arrangement; and to provide such other novel features ofconstruction and advantages as will appear more fully hereinafter,

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention,

Figure 1 is an end view ofa controller showing my improved contact;

Figure 2 is a side view ot the same;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line, 3-3 of Figure2;

Figure 4: is a sectional view taken on the line H of Figure 3; andvFigure 5 is a fractional side view illustratin? the method ofassembling.

As shown in these drawings, the controller drum 6, which is providedwith intacts 7, which coact with my improved contacts, illustrates onemethod or combination in which my improved contacts are adapted to heused. These contacts comprise a fixed or supporting member 8 and amovable memher 9, which is secured thereto in a novel manner, and isheld by means of a spring 25. The fixed or relatively stationary member8 comprises a strip of metal haven; a branch or arm 11, which torconvenience in description, may be considered as a horizontal portionand which is adapted to be secured to an insulating; base or support 12by means of screws 13. 'llhe strip 8 has an upwardly extending branch 14at one end which is approximately at llfflll" angles to the branch 11,and a rearwardly extending branch 15, which is at an obtuse angle to thebranch 14, or bent backwardly as shown in Figures 3 and 5. Transversegrooves 16 are formed on each side of the branch 11 adjacent to itsinner end. The sides of the branch 15 are cut away to provide a tonn ne17 having; shoulders 18 at one end thereot.

The movable member 9 also comprises a strip of metal such as sheetbrass, or the like.

and which will be a good conductor of elec tricit-y. This member has asubstantially straight vertical portion or branch 19, which isbifurcated at the lower end to fitover the hump or projection 20 betweenthe-grooves 16 and the lower edges are preferably sharpened, as shown at21, so that they will engage with the grooves 'to make a joint orhearing for he movable member. The upper end of the movable member isbent outwardly to form a brush like or contact branch 22, which isadapted to makecontact with any suitable contact member such as thesegment 7 on the controller 6. The portion 22 is bent outwardly asufiicient distance to prevent arcingbetween the stationary member andthe controller segment. 'The branch-19 has a hole 23 for receiving thetongue 17- which fits freely therein. The branch also has an integrallyformed lip 24 for receiving one end of the spring 25, the other end ofthe spring abutting against the end of the branch 17. The spring 25 ispreferably made of sheet spring metal and is bent to an approximatelyU-shape or horseshoe form, as clearly shown in the drawings. The upperend of this spring has a slot 26 "for receiving the tongue 17, and theend 27'of this tongue is bent over the end of the spring for fasteningthe'parts together. 4

When the device is to be assembled, the stationary member 8 and themovable member 9 are brought together as shown in Figure 5, and thespring 25 is placed in position as shown, with its. upper end embracingthe tongue 17. The end 2? of the tongue is then bent over the end of thespring, as shown in v dotted lines in Figure 5, and thereupon, all ofthe parts will be securely locked together.

When the parts are thus assembled, it

would be seen that the expansive action of the spring tends to press themovable member 9 against the shoulders 18 or to normal position.

the lower end of the toggle being the pivot 21, the center or jointbeing the lip 24, and the upper end at the hook or abutment 27. When theouter or contact end 22 of the movable member is engaged by a coactingcontact, as for instance the segment- 7 on the drum 6, it will be swung;backwardly so that the toggle action tends to compress the spring 25.However, as the center of the toggle or the point 24 approaches the linebetween the The spring together with the lower end of the movable'memberform a toggle,

ends of the toggle, the pressure required on the end of the arm or lever9 for compressing v suitable contact Without having an increase inpressure as is customary Where an ordinary spring is used to provide thenecessary pressure between the contacts. In other WOIdS, Where anordinary compressing spring is used, the continued pressure usuallyrequires greater force, Whereas in the pres ent device, the propermovement is provided without requiring extra force tor compressing thissprin My improved contact device may be made in various sizes and shapesin order to adapt it for the different uses above suggested and for thisreason I do not Wish to be limited to the exact arrangement or detailsof construction herein shown and described, except as specified intherf-ollowing claims, in which I claim: 7

1. An electrical contact device comprising a fixed member, .a movablecontact arm pivotally mounted on the fixed member, and a spring pressedtoggle joint between the two members.

2. An electrical contact device {comprising a fixed member, a cont-actarm pivoted to the fixed member, and a compression spring terposedbetween the movable member and the fixed member and torn-ling a togglewith a portion of the movable member.

3. A contact device comprising a strip of metal having a rea-rWa-rdlybent portion at one end, said portion being cut away at the sides toform a central tongue, said strip also having grooves in the surfacethereof with a PIQZtBCt-IOI-l between the same, a movable member havinga bifurcated lower end engaging With said grooves and havlng a slot torreceiving the tongue, said movable member havoer surface thereof amovable member comprising an arm having a bifurcated lower end engagingwith said grooves to form a pivot, and having a hole for receiving thetongue, saidarm also having an outwardly projecting contact portion, alip formed tegrally With the movable member adjacent to the pivot, asl-ibstantially U-shaped spring formed of sheet metal, having one endengaging with said lip and having a slot in the opposite end forengagement with the tongue, the end of the tongue being bent over theadjacent portion of the spring when the parts are assembled, in order tolock the par-ts together.

5. A contact device as per claim 1, having a yielding toggle coactingwith the movable member and arranged so that as the movable member isswung from normal position, the arms-of the toggle Will be moved towardtheir central position, whereby the force necessary to move the movablemember Will belessened.

, JOHN T JANETTE.

